What I Hope for Singapore: A Fair, Just and Equal Society

Hello, what I want is not different from what most Singaporeans want – for a government that is responsible and that will take care of Singaporeans.

Currently, it is estimated that 30% of Singaporeans are living in poverty, that they cannot earn enough to live even a basic standard of living, there is still no minimum wage and when it comes to housing, healthcare and education, some Singaporeans are also not adequately protected because they these are simply too expensive.

By defining a poverty line, implementing a minimum wage and increasing housing, health and education subsidies, the wider proportion of Singaporeans will be protected.

And of course, increasing wages and the CPF interest rates will ensure that Singaporeans will be able to save enough to retire.

Are we asking for the spending to be frivolous? No. First, there is more than enough surplus that can ensure long term spending on these. Second, compared to the other high-income countries, the PAP government has reneged on its responsibility.

The PAP government currently spends the lowest on health and education, as a percentage of GDP, among the developed countries, and also spends the least on social protection.

Singaporeans are made to give up the largest proportion of our wages into social security, or CPF, in the world but because we earn the lowest interest rates on the CPF, we also have the least adequate retirement funds among the OECD and Asia-Pacific countries.

Meanwhile, the richest in Singapore earn the highest salaries among the developed countries and pay the lowest tax while the poor and middle-income earn the lowest wages and pay the highest social security contribution.

Combined with Singapore being the most expensive country in the world and where the government spends the least on social protection, Singaporeans thus have the lowest purchasing power among the developed countries.

And Singaporeans thus also have the highest poverty rate and income inequality among the developed countries.

And because Singapore has the highest income inequality, it has also resulted in Singapore having the lowest levels of trust, the highest prisoner rate after America and one of the lowest social mobilities among the developed countries.

This is worrying.

Why am I concerned about Singapore? Once Singaporeans are protected, where there are policies and government expenditure that takes care of and protect Singaporeans, our society will also improve and advance. Our people will become kinder, happier and more supportive of one another.

Already, Singaporeans have been ranked by several surveys as being one of the most unhappy people in the world.

Do I think the government should provide for everything for Singaporeans? Of course, not.

But the government has to identify which are the basic areas where people’s lives need to be taken care of, namely in housing, healthcare, education and retirement, as well as in employment and wages, so that people are able to function effectively.

Once we are able to do so, productivity will increase, there will be greater innovation, entrepreneurship and we will be able to develop local brands that will be able to compete globally.

Singapore will be able to make a mark in the world, like Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and even the Nordic countries, when it comes to international brands.

But for this to happen, the government has to be transparent, accountable and honest. For this to happen, we need to address the conflict of interest in the government and with the government-linked companies.

Why does the government claim that it does not interfere in the GIC when it sits on the board of the GIC, for example?

The estates of governance need to be independent, so that they can check on one another, and so that the different estates can compete and we can improve our system.

The different political parties should be allowed to run freely and on equal ground, so that we are able to have a competitive government that will address the people’s needs and ensure that policies are developed for the people. This is not the case now, where the government monopolises the decisions and controls all sectors of government.

This is also not the case now where the opposition parties are not allowed to run equally where in the past they were arrested even if they won a parliamentary seat and where they were sued, bankrupt and even lost their jobs. And of course, there is gerrymandering.

What we want is a country and people who do not live in fear, and who partake in our country’s growth and development together, so that we can put our heads together, to make our country a better place, so that our country can be sustained into the future, where we become truly a developed country, where Singaporeans are committed to the country, happy to be part of the country and will be proud to be Singaporean and do our part to grow our country.

This is what I believe in. And it starts with a government that is transparent, honest and fair and it starts with a people and Singaporeans who are willing to be courageous and to step up, take a stand and work together with belief and commitment to one another, to make our country a better place.

What I hope is for a kinder Singapore, where if we want to be a shining example to the world, this is it, where we have happy, proud and fulfilled people who are allowed to grow to their greatest potential and become the best of the people we can be.

This is all I want and hope for, and all I believe in, and in truth, what most Singaporeans believe in.

We just want a fair, just and peaceful society which is equal and together.

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69 comments

The government is only less than 1% of the population. If we are responsible for ourselves and for others around us, caring for one another, the government will be redundant. We will be able to create the society you wished for. Government is not the answer, government is something we created to abdicate responsibility. We need to take back that role as individuals and collective. You don’t need 100% of the population to do that, just 60%, you will start to see a difference.

I agree with your post.
My other wish is for Singaporeans to mature.
The education system here is… stifling and so rigid.

Singaporeans need to be exposed to people who are not like them.
So they have a taste of diversity.
The “Racial Harmony” that Singapore prospers from is not built from respect and acceptance.
It’s built from fear, fear if you offend the right sort of people you will be put away, so its best not say anything.

I just want Singaporeans to get their minds out of 1960s and into 21st century, that would be a good start for me.

we need a large numbers of volunteers do the propaganda for Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Mr . Low Thia Khiang. vote for a new Prime Minister. They can help Singapore to achieve a democratic country like South Korea and Japan, National leader needs to be replaced. Prevent national wealth and everything flowing into the pockets of a family

More than £1 billion of government pensioner bonds have been sold in the first two days after they went on sale.
Chancellor George Osborne said it was “the biggest opening sales of any retail financial product in Britain’s modern history” after more than 110,000 pensioners bought the bonds Up to £10bn of bonds are being made available through National Savings and Investments (NS&I).

They pay an annual interest rate of up to 4% for over 65s. As of Saturday morning, £1.15bn of the bonds had been sold.
The one-year bond pays an annual interest rate of 2.8% before tax, and the three-year bonds pays 4% before tax. Interest will be added on each anniversary after investment.

Financial advisers have pointed out that the best one-year bond on the open market was currently paying 1.85% interest and the best three-year bond was paying 2.5%.

Also, from a radio interview :
Roy Ngerng: The Singapore’s Prime Minister sued me in May last year and said that I had defamed him, because I had written an article (“Where Your CPF Money is Going: Learning from the City Harvest Trial”), which talked about how the how the government has been taking our CPF pension funds to use and invest but did not return the interest earned back to Singaporeans. In the article, I compared how the government was using our pension funds with how a church was managing its funds. The church pastor, had with his colleagues, set up two companies to siphon off the church’s funds into these companies, to then use for his wife’s singing career. So, I compared and said how the government’s use of our pension funds is similar to the church’s mismanagement of its funds. The prime minister then said that I have defamed him and that I had said that he has taken our money to use. In May, he sued me and three weeks later, I lost my job.

RFI: Do you mean that the Singapore prime minister was suing you personally or is he suing you using the agencies under his control?

Roy Ngerng: Actually, the Singapore prime minister cannot sue me in his capacity as a prime minister or as a government official. He can only sue me in his personal capacity. However, he has constantly used state resources to help him. For example, he has used his press secretary to write letters to attack others who have spoken up for me. But the prime minister is suing me in his personal capacity, so he cannot use his press secretary to speak up for him.

RFI: If I understand correctly, you believe that the Singapore prime minister was taking the pension funds for his own personal benefits, is that it?

Roy Ngerng: But actually, I have never said this. So, it is them who have wanted to make it sound like I have said this but I have never said this.

ABC Interview
PL: “It sounds innocuous enough. A call for transparency, says Roy Ngerng. But that’s where the OB marker lies in wait. The body that invests Singaporeans’ money for them has as its chairman, the Prime Minister. So Lee Hsien Loong took personal offence at the call for more transparency. His lawyer said the article accused the PM of criminal misappropriation. Roy Ngerng backed out fast. He removed the offending post, apologised and offered Mr Lee $5,000 in damages. But the offer was dismissed as ‘derisory’.

Q: “Are you surprised that you were sued for defamation by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong?”

Mr Ngerng: “Well, you know last year they came up with a MDA licensing rule where they say that if the Government is not agreeable with any articles that you put up, they will ask you to take it down and to pay a performance bond of S$50,000. So I expected that at some point, I would be subjected to that rule to have to take it down. But to be sued is beyond my current expectations. And I would say I would be more disappointed than…you know, because I would rather the Government engage a citizen, ordinary citizens who are asking them key questions on our retirement funds to actually let us have the transparency, the reports and to engage us in a conversation and we can then decide based on information that we know, we think that these are the solutions that should be done. I think it’s better that way instead of the Government telling us and scaring us.”

In a special briefing on the threats of Islamic extremism in the country, Mr Ayub said police intelligence has indicated that it was only a matter of time before an attack is launched.

“It is not a matter of if we will be attacked, but when,” he told the executive briefing.

Mr Ayub said Malaysian Islamic State members have made direct threats to attack Malaysia, including plans to bomb entertainment spots as part of a plan by the group, also known as ISIS, to “punish” Malaysia for being an “apostate” country.

“They view us as apostates. First they deem us bidaah (deviant), then they say we are apostates and then next thing is to say our blood is halal,” Mr Ayub said.

Talk cock Roy, talking cock is simple. Walking the cock is difficult. Have you walked the cock? What is fair and just? “Fair and just” means the government allocate some more money to you, decide your pay and penalize the successful?

Roy was simply exercising his right as a Singapore citizen. he loves this country, is genuine, he has a right as a citizen to criticise,

if the current government vehemently denied, refusing to admit the Temasek had owed CPF’s debts. although Temasek is unpopular and will generate great discontent. before election he continue throwing around economic largesse. when the money runs out e.g. the issuance of new bonds, inability to repay CPF debt . Domestic debt can always be “repaid” through inflation and a debased currency.

Unfortunately, the ordinary people of Singapore are going to suffer immensely when the regime is forced to occupy the nationals CPF.

compared those PM ‘s unwanted elite, use of official working hours come to here , such egregious of wrongdoing and failure that wrongdoers face under the constitution in these instances — a civil society issues, Democracy, national Finance, Governance, Human Rights, Justice, Leadership……cetera.

PM Lee, If you are not performing you should know when to quit and resign .

“Strongmen around the world applauded. Gulf State sheiks celebrated him. Russia’s Vladimir Putin was a fan. A succession of Chinese leaders sought his advice. If he could raise his country to riches without all the fuss and bother of democratic politics, why couldn’t they?”

And the writer concluded… The trouble is that the world produces very few such leaders.

Help me spread this out.
I seldom beg so please try to understand why I implore yo after reading this.

The story of LKY in a nutshell.

He was a capable and charismatic man in his own capacity.

He work and function even better when surrounded by a team of equally capable men.

As a team it was also the period that Singapore achieve the most significant growth and achievements in the 50 year history of independence.

In his private life LKY was aided as well as surrounded by highly able intellectuals his wife and his extended family of siblings and relatives etc.

In the late 80s LKY become the sole surviving member of the original pap within parliament,things that were once set in place by the earlier members of pap began to subvert and change.Retirement age start to raise,hdb was subjected to speculation and sold to public at appreciative price instead of actual cost price,institutions was privatise and businesses and banks was merge.

LKY step down in the early 90s and pass the seat to a seat warmer.Goh then use the already developed up economic backbone structures of Singapore to accelerate trade and economy through the use of opening foreign influx policies as well as inviting more foreign funds in to prop up the value of the ponzis here.

In the 2000s LKY son LHL step into power and continue the formula of Goh even as the pyramid structures here has already started to enter it maturity stage and the physical limits of Singapore infrastructures cannot allow this kind of formula to continue indefinitely.

Well these three men and their underlings are responsible for the current state of affairs Singapore are facing today.

LKY got seduce by power in his latter life and change many institutions into his own self own enterprises that serve himself.

Goh use the power and time given to him to bring in his own people and business associates to build up and consolidate his own power thus leading to a sub division power faction to be born within pap itself.

Lhl is caught in a bind when he first step into power.He fail to see how much power the secondary faction within pap under Goh has within this country in the beginning and was misled by them.Lhl on one hand has to protect and safeguard what his father has build and amass during his time and on the other hand Lhl have no choice and idea of his own but to further continue and propagate what his predecessor Goh has started in his time.

Now LKY is dead and Goh has earn enough and is also going to be dead within one to two decades time. Lhl has also started to wake up and found himself in a mess and the country is about to collapse and he is facing Goh underlings and his father stooges alone in this country so he tap on his own network and bring in his own people to protect himself but Lhl is a pampered man who grew up in a sheltered environment and most of his network he can tap on is mostly his saf friends when he was serving army back in the past but these saf people do not know how the outside world work and their existence is more of a hindrance rather than a help to Lhl.

Actually this country can really be save if the millions of Singaporeans is willing to step in at this junction to intervene and help Singapore out.

Left alone to her own devices Singapore will be ruin and 玩死 by the current bunch of elites in the ruling class.

There is two ways to help Singapore it all depend on whether you can put down your hate and differences and choose to help.

(1)Either you vote out PAP and bring an end to this vehicle.Without pap as a vessel to house the elites both factions within pap will be strip of power and their grasp on Singapore politics and economics arenas will be broken but there is a price to pay for it Singapore economic backbone and structures will be damage and wreck in the process.

(2)Or you choose to step out to assist Lhl and try to help him to effect a change within pap in order to save this country.This man desperately need allies to bring back the tides of fortunes but the odds is heavily against him by now and true talents have mass migrate out of Singapore in recent years already.

I write this in a objective,candid and non biased way even though I hate pap and Lhl because I really want to find a solution to walk ourselves out of this mess instead of doing self destruction by holding onto hate.

Those who can help and are in a position to help please step out by now.

Time is really running out.

If no one step out to try then the collective mass will be force to show our hand in a game of showdown and bring forth the destruction of the pap empire.

Please try to understand what is really going on in our country and realise how little time we have left now and what are the options left available.

Roy, good news someone think that we already have what you hope for:
Singapore: A Fascinating Alternative To The Welfare State by John Goodman

Lately, quite a number of other scholars have discovered Singapore, especially its health care system – again, with both right and left finding a lot to admire. It’s taken almost three decades, but Singapore is now the subject of a book by Brookings Institution, a whole slew of posts by Austin Frakt and Aaron Carroll, and a good overview by Tyler Cowen, with links to other studies and comments.

Singapore’s most significant accomplishment is the avoidance of the mistakes of other countries:

I believe that the least appreciated part of Lee Kwan Yew’s legacy is his method of ensuring that one generation won’t bankrupt future generations by selfishly living beyond its means. It’s a welfare state that works, and one he always said was available to any political leader with the courage to tell his people the truth about the limits of government’s power to pass out goodies.

For my part, I would summarize the philosophy of Singapore as follows:

Each generation should pay its own way.
Each family should pay its own way.
Each individual should pay his own way.
Only after passing through these three filters should anyone turn to the government for help.

If the United States had adopted a similar approach to public policy, there would be no deficit problem in this country.

So Roy don’t worry so much, Singapore should be OK if we carry on working hard.
Just don’t wish that Singapore over again, we will not make it, our neighbors are fast catching up.

I do think the best way for a country to grow is simply for all to work together as one country without a leader, where everything is completed through understanding and teamwork. But those are just ideals. Human are not perfect in fact often foolish in their actions, such ideals are hard if not impossible to make into reality. This is probably where the government has to step in, to control the happening of the country to ensure everyone has equal rights, to ensure fairness among the people. But this can only work well if the government consist of people who we truly trust and they do not put their own selfish wants into developing the country. Yes at time the government has to resort to the fear aspect to control their people, one example of which is crime and punishment. The need of a leader is required among a foolish society as ours. We are constantly fighting for our own point of view without understanding the other. To develop everyone must see the full picture of the happenings. I hope everyone would stop posts about their hate towards the government. Rather than arguing where they went wrong try giving idea on how Singapore can be improved as a whole. This would be more beneficial. I hope through the voting the people would make the right choices, as this would not only concern us but our future generation as well. I am on neither on the side of the government nor against them. I do realize the government is successful in bringing Singapore this far which much change from what Singapore originally was, but it is not without sacrifices. These public figures are still human as well, they aren’t perfect. Now and then they will make mistakes that affect Singapore greatly. Our job as citizens are not to criticize them because of what they have done, but to inform them about it. I do hope one day we can cross all barriers regardless of race, status, class, etc and work together with no or minimal disputes, and develop our home, Singapore, into a better place for all to live in.

In this case I would like to say thanks to Roy for making an effort to show and inform the citizens about the happenings of Singapore. Whether they are misleading or incorrect in anyway, he still made an effort. I look up to these kind of people to hope and share about how we can improve. In search of peace and truth I hope the world would have more people like this. Fearless to speak up against others and search for the best way to solve issues. I do hope you continue with what you have been doing Roy! Keep it up! I enjoy reading what I should be knowing about the country I am living in even though i am just a 16 y/o student.

* You increase down payment.
* COE went up.
* More ERP.
* Screwed up the flow of traffic to free land for money.
* More breakdowns and delays from public transport.
* You use taxpayers money to subsidize private transport companies.
* You sanctioned fare increase for already profitable PUBLIC transport providers.
* People with low income require transport like motorcycle and you cut the number of motorcycle COE.
* Cash rich people pay by cash. Getit?
* Basic transport still not affordable.
* Problem not addressed but made worse.

WE TELL YOU HOUSING IS UNAFFORDABLE…

* You took your profits regardless.
* We ask you to address the issue of affordable housing, eg: HDB, but in your infinite wisdom, you destabilize the whole artificial market which you created.
* The very fragile property market is already way over inflated by your control of supply and short shortsightedness. Why are you destabilizing it even further? You think foreign speculators are stupid and cannot read what you spew from your mouths?
* You put the financial security and plan of Singaporeans at risk.
* You allow cash rich foreigners to push up prices.
* You deny inflating prices by control of supply.
* You leave young Singaporeans in the cold.
* You put Singaporeans deeper debt because they now cannot refinance because of your irrelevant stop gap policies.
* The rental market is down because you pulled the brakes on the wrong people.
* You insist we are asset rich for what?!?! You talk like we have cash in hand and do not have mortgage to pay.
* Cash rich people pay by cash. Getit?
* Housing still not affordable for 1st time buyers.
* Problems not addressed but made worse.

WE TELL YOU THERE ARE SINGAPOREANS THAT HAVE FALLEN BEHIND AND ARE JOBLESS…

* We ask for minimum wages, you increased your own salaries.
* You allow more foreigners in.
* We asked to you to address the issues of FTs taking jobs paying $3k+ onwards. You then drove out all the foreign cleaners and service industry workers expecting the gap to be filled by aged Singaporeans.
* You give free and subsidized education to free loaders who fuck us over, insult us and then go home to a well padded nest. The same people who are not obliged nor obligated to our country. Opportunist. You should know the exact type.
* Still jobless. Still competition with disadvantage.
* Problems not addressed but made worse.

WE TELL YOU MEDICAL IS UNAFFORDABLE…
* You tell us not to fall sick.
* You sell Singapore as a medical hub to service foreigners.
* You make us buy insurance when you tie our money up in medisave.

WE TELL YOU INFLATION IS GOING OUT OF CONTROL…
* You lock up our CPF.
* You increase toll.
* You increase GST.

We work here. We live here.
Singapore is our country.
Singapore is our home.
We do not work for you.
You work for us.
Singapore is a country.
OUR COUNTRY.
Not a company.
NOT YOUR COMPANY.
You do not want to be a government.
You want to run a company.
We want a government.

When we needed a job, you open the floodgate and let the FT FW to have the jobs.

When we needed a car, you manipulate the COE ERP Petrol Parking prices.

When we needed a house, you let the FT FW convert to PRs and Citizen to grab our housing.

When we needed a maid, you make every single application difficult, pricey, and also earn levy from us.

When we needed a jobs that required 4 GCE O levels, you flood the jobs with Fake degree and diploma holders from various countries just to make our job hunting from bad to worse.

When we needed a raise in our salary, you up our pay by 2-5%, but you increase our job loads and working hours by 20-50%.

When we needed our CPF when we turn 55, you increase the age of withdrawing limit by 10 years.

When we trying to do business, you increase the rent like nobody business.

When we needed to take our parent to hospital, you increase the hospital bill like nobody business and cut give some subsidies like you are caring for us.

When our child needed a place in the school, you let the FT FW children to stand a equal chance to have a place in the school, I not sure we spent 15 years standing by our country for what????? can’t even have a peace of mind even applying for just a neighborhood school.

When we needed a public transport, you let the FT FW to make our transport so cramp that we feel like we are a sardine fish inside a sardine can.

When we needed you….. your arms are open and ready to hug a third world country FT FW rather than a citizen who served you and standby you for the last 39 years.

Singapore is a good place if the G do not do what they like and what they feel.

Singapore is a good place with multiple culture but now it become a little china town with many chinese from third world country dirtying our place talking loudly like shouting.

When we wanted to make our life easier, you are finding ways to make our life difficult, and always says that it is for our own good….. for the past 10 years everything you said is for our own good becomes for your own good, in terms of working hours we work longer, in terms of pay we are paid even lower, in terms of rental we pay even more higher, in terms of jobs, we can’t even get a decent job with a decent pay. But in return your pay became a pay that no government in the world can match, one MP pay equal to 3 United States Of America President’s pay who constantly faces Threat from terrorists and World Problem like North Korea Nuclear staff, Iraq problem, Iran problem, africa problem, our MPs 3 times pay higher than the United States Of America, only talking about hawker center returning plates, increase smoking age, SMRT seats give to old people, Char Kuay Tiao at certain hawker stalls are cheaper by 20 cents it is a joke that our MPs talk like a kindergarten kids, but draw money 3 times higher than United States of America, singaporean who feel like hawker centers, char kuay tiao topics MPs drawing 3 times salary higher than United States of America, it is a humiliation to Singaporean intelligent…

Something is not right. The Government has sold our land to the foreigner. Still this day I still have no idea why they open the door freely and invited them to our land. I’m so sad and stressed. Look at the likes of Jurong, Changi Business Park and Pasir Ris.

Nowadays there’s a lot of foreigners moving to these town. Most of them are working and stealing the job that We, Singaporeans WANT. Nowadays there’s a lot of Pinoy working in the public hospital as a nurse and doctor. Do we trust them to treat us? Also look at the IT job. A lot of Indians from India hold the IT job. I’m pretty sure Singaporeans are better talents than them.

So in short removed those foreigners that are stealing and working the job that We, Singaporeans WANT. Changes need to be made ASAP. If not Singapore will go down and sink in the water due to overcrowding in PAP hands…

1) Chang Li Lin, Press secretary to LHL. January 14, 2015 , Chang said that LHL “looks forward” to CPF blogger Roy Ngerng’s cross-examination on the stands. This was her second reply to the media (her third statement in total) for LHL’s private affairs .

Roy Ngerng was asked to pay LHL $29,000 in legal fees and related expenses . The hearing of the assessment of damages for the defamation is expected to take place in late June.

2) Nov 07, 2014 LHL promptly promoted his Private Secretary Gabriel Lim as the new CEO for the Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore .that’s why Singapore media give staff time off to pay tribute to LKY . our Radio ,TV channels, broadcast, mass media propaganda for LKY for 7 days 24 hours, he directed it like Mao’s farewell ceremony.
Only a totalitarian government can do that.

Apparently LHL-controlled media for using LKY’s death to set up a pre-election propaganda agenda as the Lee government is seen to be losing alot of favour with the people recently.